I am gearing up to get back into the studio soon, it helps to have a show coming up in October. As exciting as that is, I especially wanted to share with my friends that yet again, I’ve been honored to be chosen as a finalist in The Artist Magazine’s annual competition. In fact–three out of three paintings were finalists! Out of over 5,900 entries, I am feeling very blessed.

You’ve seen them all on this blog, but here they are again–the plein air painting that is featured is just a bonus for you. That was from the plein air event in Cannon Beach back in June.

Four months have past since my last post–YIKES!!! You don’t want to know gory details of why. Mostly because I don’t remember all the details, life’s been so busy–all is well though.

Here’s a painting I’ve been working on. It’s not quite finished, but I wanted to share and even take a vote. I am experimenting with a new format for my bird watcher series. Paintings without the mannequin. I wrote a poem to go with this painting and was considering writing it on the painting in the big white spot. However, now I’m questioning that wisdom–when it’s finished I think it may look nice blank. Here’s the poem I wrote, called A Tiny Blackhawk Flyby.

A Tiny Blackhawk Flyby–work in progress

A tiny Blackhawk does a flyby.

Its target—delicate flower heads dangling above.

Possibly he’s pursuing that pesky gnat—I hope he is.

With a whir he’s gone. Where? I look around.

A chirp, then a flash—I see him—perched and preening atop a branch.

He seems so small, fragile, in fact—his life measured in fractions of seconds, ounces, and inches.

As if to puncture this notion in my head—he dives at the speed of sound.

Then, again he hovers above—moving from flower to flower–drinking in each fragrant moment—gathering a memory bouquet.

When the time is right, he’ll visit each memory again.

Lingering—drinking it in—I’ll visit this memory again.—the end

Close up of male Anna’s Hummingbird

UPCOMING EVENTS

It’s Plein Air season! This year I will be getting in some good practice.

June 24-26–This weekend is Plein Air & More at Cannon Beach, sponsored by the Cannon Beach Gallery group. I will be painting some of the time in front of my gallery, Northwest by Northwest, other times out in one of the other designated areas, both Friday and Saturday. I am still not sure what Sunday will hold–I may not be there. Here is link to all that is happening this weekend at Cannon Beach if you are interested–cbgallerygroup.com.

July 9&10–Up to 120 artists will have plein air pieces on display at the Chehalem Cultural Center ballroom in Newberg, OR–yours truly will be one of them. From today through July 6 we will be participating in The Oregon Lavender Paint Out. Free aroma therapy whilst painting on select farms–what more could an artist want? A link to all things lavender–WVLavenderFestival.org.

October–Solo show at Boomerang in Vancouver, WA. Up all month, opening reception October 7–during First Friday Art Walk.

November–Open Studio Tours–more info on that as it comes out

Other misc. projects this summer–finish painting and installing the mural on Andersen Dairy–oh and meet my new granddaughter in August!!!

I’ll post some painting results from the weekend next week–have a lovely rest of the week!

I have been having so much fun in my studio lately! I’ve decided that if I keep up this pace I will proclaim 2016 “The Year of Production”. Barring any major situations this year, I foresee that it will be.

I know I introduced you to Impending Doom and thought you’d like to see the cause of “doom” at this point, Mr. (or Mrs–I’m not sure) Blue Heron. I am ALMOST done–I say that because I’m not yet happy with the value contrast in the feathers on the upper part of its body. I rarely glaze any parts of my paintings but in this case, I believe I’ll have to let it dry and go in with a little glaze. Of course, you will have an opportunity to see the final product.

Almost done! (This is obviously at an angle)

I have discovered that one of the best ways for me to really “see” what changes need to be made in my paintings, is to take a photo of it. For some reason, it becomes fresh to me. As I look at this photo of my painting I discover things like a dot, floating below the chin of the bird, that has to be removed. I also notice that there is a thin whitish line that intersects with the top of his head, part of the cloud, that needs to be softened or removed. I make mental notes of those things and if there are lots of things that need changed, I make actual, physical notes. I’m pretty sure I’ll remember those.

Almost done!

As you can see here, there is very little contrast in the feathers, which means, there is no depth (If you squint your eyes the surface looks flat). I tried to add a darker value but because the paint was wet it just wanted to blend in and get messy. Titanium white is mixed in with these colors and white always takes longer to dry, so I’ll have to wait until at least Saturday to be able to come back in and fix it.

You can possibly see a little better what I was talking about regarding the dot in the yellow area and the white line in the clouds, intersecting the birds head.

The remainder of the painting is coming along well and will be featured in my next blog. Besides working on this piece I prepped four canvases for painting and completed this smaller painting called Reigning Kinglets. It’s a 24X30″ painting on gallery wrap canvas. While walking my dog up on the trails at Lewisville Park I “saw” this painting in my head. I’d taken the drippy branches reference picture a couple of years ago and had saved it thinking they needed to be painted. As I walked along, past a flock of Kinglets flitting and floating along the trail with me and in the branches of the trees, I thought, “That would be cool to use those branches, dripping with rain, add Kinglets and name it Reigning Kinglets.” Here it is–Until next time–happy birding!

I thought it was time to give you an update on how Orin T. and I are doing. Currently, Orin T. is a little pale and just sitting around on his fishing bucket, watching me paint. The good news, he’s pretty quiet and I’m making good progress.

Orin T., sitting on his fishing bucket, watching from afar.

After much deliberation in my head (I always have too many ideas) and on a scratchpad (that’s where all the ideas get weeded out in reality), I FINALLY decided on the layout and mood for the 4th painting in The Bird Watcher Series. The concept I had for this painting years ago when I first sketched it out was a picnic scene with all the creatures that Great Blue Herons eat, hiding amongst the props and in the grass. Picnics are typically something one looks forward to, but not if you are a little guest and could possibly come to your demise when the much larger, carnivorous guest, surreptitiously arrives at the picnic. So, rather than making the painting full of light and happy I decided to portray the scene with a sense of foreboding that would accompany a little creature who, unsuspectingly, might look up for the last time, only to come eye to eye with a Great Blue Heron.

Nothing that moves and breaths on land or in water and can be swallowed whole, is safe, when it comes to these lanky, lightning quick, prehistoric looking birds–that is why I’ve decided to call this painting “Impending Doom”.

Setting the mood of “doom” starts with dark clouds rolling in and a full-size Great Blue Heron hovering in the foreground.

I’m having a blast with this painting so far–I may change my mind when I have to paint all the grass, but all in all, I think there is potential for “Impending Doom” being my favorite in The Bird Watcher series so far. (It may be because of the GIANT bird I get to paint.)

I always like the way a painting looks in progress.

It will be a while before I post the final piece. There is obviously a lot of work to do on a 36″x80″ painting, but I also want to have an element of surprise when completed. When done, the painting will make its way to Cannon Beach and be available for sale at Northwest by Northwest Gallery.

Before I even had a chance to write my goals for this year–including all the steps to reach them–a goal was met, which dictates all the remaining goals for the year, PAINT!

Here’s what happened–a gallery owner and her husband saw my work in a publication (American Art Collector). Her husband said, “Watch this artist”. She contacted me via email and said, “We love your work”, we met at the gallery on Tuesday, January 5, and the rest is history. I now have my first major gallery representation at Northwest By Northwest Gallery in Cannon Beach, OR.

I feel honored to be represented by NW by NW Gallery, hosts of some very prestigious artists.

The cool thing about this is, “Gallery representation in Cannon Beach, OR” was the first thing I was going to write in my goals for the year. I feel so blessed to be able to check that off my list and move on to the next thing on my list–PAINT–which is exactly what I need to do to reach the goals that Joyce, the gallery owner, and I have set. My focus will be on producing more pieces to add to the bird-watcher series, which means, it’s time to start blogging about the adventures of Orin T. the bird-watcher–something I’m sure you are looking forward to.

Yesterday, I began cleaning an area in my studio for the still-life where the Great Blue Heron will “live.” This is the fourth painting in the series, the creative juices are flowing–it’s wonderful to feel excited about this series again and to have a place where it can be seen by so many.

Heron props–soon to be arranged. Orin T. is feeling overwhelmed by the project.

Before I go to far with this blog I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for reading my blog, for commenting, for supporting me as a friend and as an artist, for making this art journey with me. I could not do this without you, nor would I want to. Making art is as much about bringing joy to others as it is about receiving joy in the process of making it.

2015 has been a faith-building year in a number of ways. It didn’t always seem like I was getting much done because of all the distractions, but when I assess my progress in numbers its been a success–more so than I’d thought.

Tools of the trade–this palette is not mine but I love the dry chunky paint on it so I have it hanging in my studio for inspiration.

Here’s a quick overview of what I did last year professionally:

PAINTINGS

46 paintings completed of a variety of sizes, studio and en plein air

3 paintings almost completed on the easel, two small and one large

2 murals–one public 12×10′ and one nursery 8×14′

SHOWS

7 Group shows

Orcas Island All Things Birds and Beautiful Art Show and Sale

National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS) on-line International Spring Show

Christmas Benefit group show at Above and Below Gallery, Vancouver, WA

2 Solo shows

It’s All About Birds, Lava Java, Ridgefield, WA

3rd Annual Clark County Open Studio Tour

BLOG

This is my 57th post this year on this blog. Highlights:

Viewed over 3,600 times

Seen in 75 countries

Most views in one day–August 22–243 views in response to “My Heart Skipped a Beat”. Maybe people were just making sure I hadn’t had a heart attack or something.

AWARDS/PUBLICATIONS

Finalist in The Artist Magazines Annual Competition in the Animal category

Won a spot in the NOAPS 25th Annual Best of America Show

Southwest Art, January 2016 edition

American Art Collector

local articles in the newspaper–too lazy to look up the dates 😉

MISCELLANEOUS

Moved my studio from my garage to 711 NE 1st St, Suite 105, Battle Ground, WA 98604, and loving having a place to go to work.

Worked on an art collaboration with two other artists, creating a temporary art installation for the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge Anniversary and Grand Opening of the newly remodeled Carty Unit.

Started an Instagram account

Updated my website and activated the shopping cart feature (that was a lot of work!).

ON A PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT BUT ART RELATED NOTE–

Like all of you, my life has been a journey. Highs, lows and a lot of in between stuff. Much (MOST) of that journey did not include art. All of my journey has included religion (God) in some form or another. A few years ago I came under conviction and took the most life altering, important and significant step–I left the church that I’d been raised in. Some may think this a small thing–it was NOT for me–but it has proven to be the best decision of my life. In 2014, while dealing with some significant losses, I was reading My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, for my morning devotions. His words were deep and in my minds eye I could “see” a complete paradigm shift regarding the gospel. I came under conviction to begin doodling through each daily devotion as well as write my response–a kind of “therapy” for me as I was challenged by the simplicity of the true gospel as it is in Jesus Christ alone. I began doing that the end of October and on January 16, 2015 I started a blog called DoodlingDevotionals.com. So, on top of accomplishing all of the above professionally, each morning, before doing anything else, I doodled and wrote a response to my devotions–resulting in 320 posts (there are actually all 365 devotions on the blog but when I started the blog I uploaded my doodles done prior to the blog on separate pages.)

The success in the blog was not the amount of viewers or followers, but in the commitment I had made. I have NEVER in my life been able to even write in a journal more than 3 consecutive days in a row. To have doodled and posted consecutively for 89 days in a row is significant. The days I missed blogging, I still doodled. The first day I missed was the day my grandson was born in WI. A week with him and our kids still did not keep me from doodling, I just made up for the missed days by posting more than one a day for a few days. Even though the blog was viewed only a couple of thousand times in 36 countries it was to me a most valuable experience, causing me to go much deeper in my understanding and relationship with God. I am a better person for it in many ways.

Now, as the clock ticks toward midnight, and 2015 comes to a close, I anticipate with excitement what next year might bring, both professionally and personally. I have begun a rough draft of goals for next year which I will share when I have completed it. To be sure there will be more paintings added to the Bird Watcher series–yes, I said paintingS. Until then, let me leave you with these inspired words from Emily Dickinson–“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul–and sings the tunes without the words–and never stops at all.”

Barns are sadly becoming a thing of the past–at least beautiful red barns. I have decided it’s time to start preserving them in the form of paintings. Consider this a fair warning for the coming year. I plan to paint more barns, en plein air as much as possible. This painting was done in my studio and resides in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.

10×8″ Red Barn

I don’t have a lot to say this evening, it’s time to go complete some Christmas gifts, but I did want you to know that I have updated my website significantly and am proud to say, there’s an “add to cart” button now available. This painting is available for purchase at KaraMcGhee.com.

…On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, four calling Fox Sparrows, A flock of tiny Kinglets, two Northern Flickers and a hummingbird in our pear tree…

Like everyone else this time of year, I have a lot going on. The last few days have been a culmination of all that has been brewing in our lives for the last few months. Today was the day to see how everything would REALLY work out! I don’t want to bore you with the gory details but to be honest, we’ve been walking by faith–literally. I had been having a chat with God about how all these things would play out today and as if to say, “I am taking care of you,” a flock of little chattering birds landed at my feet and in the surrounding bushes along the trail. I was expecting little gray Bushtits–I see them often and I just love watching them flit and float from limb to limb. But these were even more special–they were tiny Kinglets.

See what I mean, they are adorable. Photo credit looks like KC Ayers (I pulled this off the internet).

I was surprised by their boldness and bravery even with my dog. They hopped around on the ground only 4-5 feet from us, flipping leaves and eating bugs–off in the distance I heard a beautiful song being sung and I looked up to see a Fox Sparrow sitting upright on a limb, head tilted back, beak wide open, singing at the top of its lungs while three of his friends foraged in the underbrush below him. Soon a couple of little Winter Wrens joined in the chorus with their short little chips (I think they were contributing as the “rhythm” section). When I got home our backyard was full of bird activity. A mixed flock of thrushes–American Robins and Varied Thrushes, Yellow-Crowned Sparrows, Starlings, a pair of Northern Flickers, a hummingbird (that sits in our pear tree–really!), and of course the ever present Junco’s and Chickadee’s. It was a great day for bird watching today.

Back to my walk–While standing under the dripping trees, dark storm clouds brewing above–getting ready to let loose with another torrent–I was reminded that I need to become more like a little bird. Sing in the storm, live in and for the little things of the moment, don’t worry about what will be (worry never changed the future it just ruined the present), turn the leaf in front of me, and don’t forget to share my life with friends, family AND strangers. We’re better together, especially when we are lifting each other up and you never know when you may lift someone up. It might be someone you see in the coffee shop, like the gal I met this afternoon who is new to the area and having a stressful day–we talked, then exchanged phone numbers–who knows where this meeting will go. Everyone we meet is dealing with SOMETHING. Be kind, send up a prayer and be the cheerful little Kinglet in another persons day–that is our calling and what makes life worth living.

This is the little hummer that hangs out in our pear tree–here he is last winter in our dogwood tree. I call this painting “Fluff Ball Hummer” for lack of having a better imagination. This is another example of a bird who lives in the moment–this happens to be a cold moment with a thawed out feeder hanging a few feet away. 18×14″ oil on gallery wrap canvas. Available, contact me.

As for the way things turned out today–it’s obvious that God (my True Love) had it in control, not us! The things I stressed over for this morning were provided for and even went beyond my expectations and the future looks hopeful with new beginnings. I’m working on being a better “bird”. Until next time–when feeling stressed, remember the birds and sing a song ;-). I’ll start one for you–Count your blessings name them one by one . . .

A friend of mine recently shared a post on Facebook about flooding the streets with art on Black Friday. “That sounds fun”, I thought. So today I packaged up a few things, two small originals and some cards, then went about placing art here and there downtown.

Black Friday special–FREE art!

I know I was just one of hundreds of artists all over who participated in spreading art and beauty today. I can only hope that the people who found free art, enjoy the art as much as we/I enjoyed putting art out to be found. Next year I’ll be more prepared. I’m already looking forward to doing it again and hopefully, I can get some of my friends to join me. But since it was so much fun, you never know, possibly a random piece of art will be randomly dropped on a random day and you may randomly find it–

We all have gifts to give and we don’t have to wait for a specific day or be organized to do it. Let’s be random and spread joy, love and beauty spontaneously. It’s fun 😄!

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